SMALL size of the Manipur Plan size is often been cited as a key factor for the poor fiscal of the State; now it transpires that successive Governments have to been unable to effectively utilise all the Plan money allocated by the Centre. This year the Plan size has been fixed at Rs 590 crores. As the State Cabinet fixed the sectoral allocation on September 18, it became clear that out of the Rs 550 crore Plan money received for the 2002-03 fiscal, only Rs 322.09 crore was utilised. Manipur had an allocation of Rs 2281 crore for the entire 9th Five Year Plan. But the State Government could utilise only Rs 1905.48 crores. Planning Commission chief K C Pant is unhappy. He conveyed his ire to the Chief Minister. So, the projected allocation for the State under the 10th Five Year Plan (2002-07) of Rs 2804 has a  question mark.

Pant acknowledges that Manipur is passing through a critical financial crisis. He notes that there is a shortfall of Rs. 29.07 crore under tax and non-tax revenue collections in the state during   2002-03. 

This is in sharp contrast to the expenditure incurred by the State Government by way of paying salaries, pensions and interest, which stood at Rs 587.15 crores. For the annual Plan of 2003-04 the State’s resources may be worked out at Rs 78.79 crores, K. C. Pant has stressed the need to buckle up and put in more effort at resource mobilisation. He is aghast that even after 20-years Thoubal and Khuga Multipurpose Project are not complete. The delay has led to cost escalation, notes Pant. Thoubal project was initially envisaged with Rs 47.25 crore. The outlay has now shot up to Rs 390 crore. For Khuga dam initial assessment was Rs 15 crore. Now it needs Rs 249.47 crore.

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